Ukrainian Armed Forces may achieve breakthrough near Russia's Robotyne defense line

This is stated in the report of the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).

It noted that Ukrainian troops have continued to advance past a section of the Russian defensive layer west of Verbove since the breakthrough in the area on September 4 and have expanded their gap along a 2.6-kilometer section of Russian defensive positions.

Experts add that the continued absence of Ukrainian heavy equipment and vehicles past this layer of defense continues to indicate that Ukrainian forces have not yet completed their breakthrough.

According to Ukrainian officials, a number of Russian defensive positions currently facing the Ukrainian Armed Forces may be less difficult than the initial enemy defensive line that Ukrainian military broke through in the north. 

The ISW emphasizes that Russian forces have concentrated most of their combat power on advanced Russian defensive positions to protect against Ukrainian counteroffensive operations, and have likely suffered heavy losses, as well as retreated to prepared positions behind the current defense layer.

The Institute's analysts have previously estimated that Russian troops do not have enough manpower to man their entire multi-echelon system of defensive fortifications in southern Ukraine.

In addition, the report states that the interventionists who maintain the current level of defense are most likely elements of formations that have been fighting in the area without operational support and rotation at the unit level since the beginning of the Ukrainian counteroffensive, or elements of formations redeployed from other parts of the front.

• As of the morning of Sunday, September 17, the General Staff reported that the Ukrainian Defense Forces continued to defend eastern and southern Ukraine, advancing on the Melitopol and Bakhmut directions. Meanwhile, in the east, the Ukrainian Armed Forces hold the initiative.